Nikita Tszyu and Darkon Dryden come from proud boxing families, but that’s where the similarities end.
Tszyu’s bloodlines are well known; father Kostya is hall-of-famer, while brother Tim’s next fight is for the tag of undisputed world champion.
The Drydens aren’t as famous but also have skin in the game; Darken is undefeated in an injury-interrupted four-fight career; twin brother Kyron is a former IBO World Youth Welterweight Championship but is involved in adult films; their father Joe won nine of his 15 professional bouts (one draw); and both their grandfathers were also noted pugilists in the armed forces.
Tszyu, has had the luxury of focusing purely on training full time due to the trappings that came with his family legacy, while Dryden has had to prepare for Saturday’s bout at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre while juggling a job as a carpenter.
“I’m still a chippy in Newcastle, just a blue-collar worker, I scrap for overtime,” Dryden said.
“I’ve taken the last two weeks off to make sure I don’t put a nail through my hand.”
Australian boxer Darkon Dryden wears a Hannibal Lecter mask into the ring.
Dryden has overcome bigger setbacks; the Mayfield local’s boxing career almost came to a halt after suffering a broken back.
“I was training for a fight and about two weeks out I felt something twinge in my back,” he said.
“I was taking valiums and endones to get to the fight and one day I couldn’t get out of bed.
“It was my L1 vertebrae, I don’t even know which one that is, I think it’s in the middle.
Nikita Tszyu and Darkon Dryden are from different walks of life.Credit:SMH
“I never experienced pain like that. I was taking endones just like Tic-Tacs just to get through work.
“I hated the sport after that, I turned away and thought there was no point trying any more because I keep getting injured.
“I try to train my arse off every time, I didn’t have a dietician or anything like that to know how to fuel the body. Maybe I was weak, I’m not sure.”
Upon returning to the sport, Dryden has gained a cult following. Dubbed “Dynamite”, his ring walk involves donning a Hannibal Lecter mask.
‘For me, when I put [the mask on], that’s when it’s time to go.’
Boxer Darkon Dryden
“I always said I’d be famous,” he said.
“That was my niche to stand out in the public, my style. [Tszyu] says when he puts his wraps on, that’s when the switch flicks. For me, when I put [the mask on], that’s when it’s time to go. This opens up doors, puts all eyes on me. The whole lead up has been on me anyway.
“I talk and people listen. I’ve got all eyes watching me now, all I need to do now is perform.”
The Tszyu family has a large following in Newcastle, with Saturday’s venue renamed “Tszyucastle” whenever a member fights there. However, the Drydens also have a strong connection with the city, having grown up in the region.
“We’re from a fighting family,” Joe Dryden said. “Nothing has been handed to us. We’ve all done it tough.
“We’re just a bunch of hard knocks. We just fight for what we’ve got.
“He’s tough. Tough as they come. Not all there in the head. He loves a fight; the more you hit him, the more he comes forward. The more he loves it.
“That’s the family he’s born into. He’s boxing since he was five years old in the backyard and boxing gyms.”
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